Chapter 49 - Eminence of Rāma Tīrtha

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Pulastya said:

1. Then one has to visit Rāma Tīrtha which the sages have made it their own. The mortals get their sins destroyed by a bath here.

2. A bath here keeps one’s forefathers satisfied till the time of the final deluge of the world. In ancient times, Paraśurāma the best of the bow and arrow bearers and hailing from the lineage of Bhṛgu was born here.

3. Initially he had undergone penance here with the motive to destroy his enemies. The supreme weapon ‘Pāśupata’ was obtained by him here.

4. Mahādeva was pleased with his penance after three hundred years and had told that he would be blessed with the enemy-destroyer weapon.

5. Accordingly he was handed over with Śiva’s supreme weapon called Pāśupata. A mere recall of this (weapon) leads to wearing out of enemies.

6-10. With a gentle smile on him, he, the Bearer of a flag, post on the back of a bull (ī.e., Lord Śiva) told him (he. Parśurāma) ‘O son of Jamadagni! listen to these powerful words of mine. When you carry this weapon, you will remain invincible to anybody corporeal. This will happen out of my grace O Bhārgava. There can be no doubt about this. This waterpool will bring about welfare of both the mobile and immobile in the three worlds out of my grace. It will be famous as ‘Rāma tīrtha’. The fruits of Pitrumedha [Pitṛmedha?] Yajña will accrue to one who performs the ‘Śrāddha’ ceremony here with mind and body together especially on the Full Moon day in the Month of Kārtika, i.e., November having conjoining of the Krutika [Kṛttika?] Star. All enemies of a king will get destroyed with him having unfading years of stay in the Heaven.”

Pulastya said:

11. After saying like this Mahādeva then disappeared from sight on his own. Parśurāma also got distressed with the sorrow of death of his father.

12. As per his, i.e., the great soul’s vow subsequent to Jamadagni’s death, he made the offering of blood of his enemies twenty-one times to his forefathers with all pleasure.

13. Twenty-one Kṣatriyas having the mindset to harm, to wound, had killed his father when he was in meditation and not in a condition to retaliate. This is how one bearing weapons arrived in the community/society of Brāhmaṇas.

14. To avenge the killing of his father he thus got enraged with the Kṣatriyas and undertook penance to kill them. Blessed to be invincible he thus made the offering of blood of twenty-one Kṣatriyas to his forefathers.

15. He (i.e., Paraśurāma) made offering of water to his forefathers due to the sole purpose of making the Earth free of Kṣatriyas. From all this that the eminence of this place of pilgrimage has arisen.

16. Hence with all efforts towards compliance with the procedure, one must observe Śrāddha here. This place has significance specially in fulfilling the goal of destruction of the Kṣatriyas.